Ö÷²¥´óÐã

One of the best programmes on radio is Desert Island Discs. Peter Ackroyd was on last week and chose The Kingsmen doing Louie Louie. It's perfect pop on so many levels. I love the fact however that it never settles for hi-fi over raw excitement. It's always an easy mistake to make. I remember asking Jon Kelly our Raintown producer if the noisy synth he was recording wouldn't leave a lot of hiss on the tape.' Have you got any records with hiss on them?' he memorably asked? The reality is we have records with everything on them: hiss, static, bum notes and lots of hum. 'That wurlitzer next door in the big room is making a really loud noise,' I said to Bruce Robb in Cherokee one day. (In reality it sounded as if it was about to blow!) 'I know' smiled Bruce, 'It's beautiful isn't it?'

Read the rest of this entry

Here is the latest recipe from The Kitchen Café, to be downloaded, kept and printed.

Download Mary Contini's Rhubarb Pie

The Kitchen Café is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland, every Wednesday 1315-1400.

A divorce case is no longer shocking but there was a time when it wasn't just unusual - it was downright illegal (in England till the mid 1800s). In the summer of 1858, a court case came along that was so explosive that even Darwin and the Queen were drawn to comment on the brouhaha . On Monday's Book Café author gave us the details of this scandalous affair - MRS ROBINSON'S DISGRACE is a gripping read.

Read the rest of this entry

All the Ö÷²¥´óÐã jazz radio shows came together last night at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Pacific Quay in Glasgow to celebrate their mutual love of jazz and present a special concert featuring Tommy Smith's with special guest Randy Brecker.

The concert can be heard very soon on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 3's Jazz Line-Up with highlights on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland's The Jazz House, and many of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's other jazz programmes very soon and there will be a video too. However to whet your appetite, here are a few photos from the evening...

Photographs from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio jazz concert at Pacific Quay in Glasgow featuring the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra with special guest Randy Brecker.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio jazz presenters

Surrey born folk-pop singer songwriter Newton Faulkner graced gigging stages across the country this week with 3 dates in is as many nights...with performances at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen (Tues 22nd May) and Fat Sam's in Dundee (Wed 23rd May) and Glasgow's Oran Mor...

Which was my sunshine destination on Thursday evening (24th of May) for what was a rather hot & sweaty gig, all thanks to the glorious temperatures outside (long may it continue!) combined with a jam packed house full of fans who all gathered to take in the sounds of this cool and easy going dreadlocked one man band.

Read the rest of this entry

It's Tuesday early evening and facing the north of Glasgow from the south of the city I'm driving into a spectacular sunset and listening to the radio. On the radio was Bryan Burnett's brilliant Get It On and I hear a song I'm not aware of listening to for 30 years: U2 and Gloria. It reminded me how exciting they were in these early days and how fresh the new is when you hear it the first time. Earlier this morning Lauren Laverne played Neat, Neat, Neat by The Damned and hearing it again I though how great it sounded. I'd often thought I didn't bond with some punk tunes at the time as my ears were in a different place. Sometimes it takes years to recognise the beauty of it all, sometimes years later the song doesn't sound as good as it does going around in the juke box of your memory.

Read the rest of this entry

It's been a week of sunshine and relaxation and I expected the SNP to take some credit for it when they launched the referendum declaration...but instead they were in a dark cinema while speaker after speaker went on about the "new inspirational Scotland". I was shouting: "It's outside now, if you just go and look..."

Read the rest of this entry

A list of ceilidhs, classes and concerts taking place in Scotland over the next seven days. Listen in to this week's Take the Floor recorded at Dobbie Hall in Larbert and featuring music from Gordon Shand and his Scottish Dance Band.

Take the Floor: Dobbie Hall in Larbert

FRIDAY 25th MAY
Concert
Finzean - Finzean Hall - The Poosies

Fort William - Skipinnish Ceilidh House - The Outside Track

Motherwell - Motherwell Civic Centre - The Alexander Brothers

Read the rest of this entry

As part of the My Favourite Place in Scotland competition Richard Holloway tells his story...

I'll be getting a lift, so it'll be an easy one for me. My son will do the driving from Merchiston, along Colinton Road, up past Redford Barracks, over the Water of Leith and up the curving drive that swings into old Lanark Road and Juniper Green, then on through Balerno and up the road to the Red Moss car park. I could do it in my sleep, that drive, with my dog Daisy in the back of the car, quivering with excitement at the thought of another day on the Pentlands.

Read the rest of this entry

Here is the latest recipe from The Kitchen Café, to be downloaded, kept and printed.

Download Lea Harris' carrot cake

The Kitchen Café is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland, every Wednesday 1315-1400.

As part of the My Favourite Place in Scotland competition, singer-songwriter Aidan Moffat performs "The Wall Song" about his favourite place and talks to Tom Morton:

Where is your favourite place in Scotland? What makes it special to you?

and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland invite you to write about your favourite place in Scotland, whether it's a remote beauty spot or an urban hideaway, a famous landmark or a favourite café. We want to get Scotland writing, inspired by our country's best-loved places.

Write a story, poem, song lyric, diary entry, letter or sketch about your favourite place,
and your story could appear in a book or be broadcast on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland.

Check the website for stories, poems and songs by celebrities and listen to Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland's Out of Doors programme to hear more.

To find out more, read others' pieces and write your own, go to . For full terms and conditions visit the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland website.

Tom Morton shares his second favourite place in Scotland as part our My Favourite Place writing competition:

My favourite place is a secret. And I'm not even sure I can get there anymore, as it involves a somewhat dangerous scramble down a great gouge in a cliff, carved out of crumbly granite over millennia. And these days I'm too creaky and too feart to try it. Maybe. But oh, when you get there, to this perfectly formed shingle beach with its press-gang caves, the echoing face of the rock above you lending a weird resonance to every crunching, shushing step you take...it's magical.

Read the rest of this entry

SATURDAY 19th MAY

Ceilidh
Midlem - Midlem Hall - Charity Ceilidh - 7.30pm

Concert
Ayr - Ayr Town Hall - Alexander Brothers

Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Cappuccino Concert with Bob Turner and Karen Hanna - 11am

Pitcaple - Pitscurry - Ribe Spillemandslaug - 10am - 12 noon

CLASS
Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Whistle with Helen Forbes - 12:30pm
Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Harp with Simon Chadwick - 2pm
Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Gaelic Song Class - 10am

Read the rest of this entry

What's the big event of the week for you? I'm trying to decide between the arrival (finally) of the English asparagus from the fields of Worcestershire and Lincoln and the Cup Final at Hampden when the Hibs get their hands (finally) on the trophy.

Read the rest of this entry

Two different singer songwriter musical worlds taken in gigs-wise this week, one being a young pretender establishing his throne and the other a veteran with over thirty-five years of experience across the songwriting and live performance spectrum.

Monday evening my destination alongside producer Nick 'Jukebox' Low was the City Halls in Glasgow's Merchant City to take in an intimate album showcase of Glasgow born singer songwriter 's brand new album 'Colourblind'.

This the follow up album to 'All You Need to Know', offers of a diverse collection of 13 tracks with a mixed bag of original offerings, covers and traditional Scottish works.

Read the rest of this entry

It's been a good week. As I write this I'm on the last leg of the journey home from London.

On Monday night gave us another thumbs up for our Friday night show. In the wee wee hours Richard and I reflected on where we'd come from: We first met in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã canteen and asked each other if we knew anything about Country Music. Having discovered we collectively knew nothing we figured out we should play the stuff we loved and hope for the best. I don't know what it's done for you but it works wonders on us every Friday.

Read the rest of this entry

Working on the Book and Culture Cafés provides me with stuff to write for this blog... but it also give me plenty food for thought when the on air light goes off. Monday's Book Cafe featured the work of an up and coming Canadian short story writer, . His father has already cemented his reputation in Canada and now "junior" is showing us what he can do. LIGHT LIFTING showcases seven stories - all of them compelling because MacLeod picks out the little details that matter to us in life and shows us what it is to be human. There's the palpable anguish of a young couple with a baby who are obliged to undertake an epic car journey at Christmas time to visit the family. The fact their tiny infant isn't looking too well is no excuse; the mother is horrified that the Christmas trip is taking precedence over her baby's health. The father, whose family are pining to see this new born baby, is duty bound to stick to the plan. In a few economical, sharp sentences we feel the tension as the mother remonstrates with her partner "Tell me you know it's going to suck? Tell me you know it's going to suck? Tell me you understand that?" His reply is resigned - "It's going to suck. I'm sorry". It's this micro view on life that brings the pages of Light Lifting to life and the stories stay with you long after reading.

Read the rest of this entry

Here is the latest recipes from The Kitchen Café. To be downloaded, kept, cooked and enjoyed.

Ghillie Basan's Roasted baby peppers stuffed with feta

Neil Forbes' Hot smoked salmon

The Kitchen Café is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland, every Wednesday 1315-1400.

Tonight is Classics Unwrapped's first programme in its new home of Tuesday night. Here's a few pics from the evening.

The Maxwell Quartet, Steven Osborne and Jamie MacDougall, studio 1, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland

There was a technical glitch with last week's blog. It's something that happens from time to time in the hurly burly of broadcasting - I forgot. I was sitting in the champagne and oyster bar at the end of a challenging day when I remembered. Too late.

Read the rest of this entry

Permission to gush? Previously on this blog I revealed my admiration for an older man: 's creator, Michael Bond, now well into his 80s and still writing. This week on the Book Café, I was hardly able to contain my glee (neither was Serena - producer!) about interviewing my first guest. She'd been on the show three years before when WOLF HALL came out in a blaze of glory and subsequently scooped the Man Booker prize. is back on top form with her sequel - BRING UP THE BODIES. Since I read the last pages of Wolf Hall, I have been in mourning - lost without my daily fix of Tudor machinations and the brilliant, scheming mind of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's Chief Minister.

Read the rest of this entry

Scotland's makar takes Mark to her favourite place at Glen Uig, as part our My Favourite Place writing competition.

Listen to Liz read her poem:

We would be snaking up Loch Lomond, the
road narrow and winding after the turn at Tarbert,
and we'd be bending branches as we slid
through the green and dripping overhang of the trees.
All the bickering over the packing, and the -- as usual --
much, much later-than-we'd-meant-to leaving,
all that falling from us,
our moods lifting, lightening, becoming our good mood
the more miles we put
between our freed and weekend selves and Glasgow.

Read the rest of this entry

I'm still on a high after Richard and I went down to King Tuts yesterday to meet up with The Alabama Shakes and despite the best efforts of their tour manager to derail the encounter we met up with Brittany Howard - charm itself - for a long chat which we will broadcast soon. I took my 11 year old Shakesloving son to the soundcheck and my 19 year old daughter to the gig. The Rosses are all smiling today.

Read the rest of this entry

Our events guide includes a selection of folk music and ceilidh events taking place around Scotland. Don't miss this week's Take the Floor featuring music and chat from David Anderson's Scottish dance band.

FRIDAY 11th MAY
Ceilidh
Edinburgh - Lauriston Hall - Ken's Ceilidh - Scott Leslie Ceilidh Band

Folk
Biggar - Biggar Municipal Hall - Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham
Birnam - Birnam Institute - Fairport Convention - 8pm
St Andrews, The Byre Theatre - Live music from 'The Outside Track' - 8pm

RSCDS Dance
Helensburgh - 60th Anniversary Dance - Ian Muir and his Band

Read the rest of this entry

in Glasgow was shaken down and some by American Rock outfit Alabama Shakes on Wednesday night (9 May 2012)...

You may have caught them on Jools Holland of late...and both Ricky Ross and I have been playing tracks from their album 'Boys & Girls' on Another Country and All Night Long in the past few weeks...

Led by the gutsy vocals and rhythm guitar playing skills of Brittany Howard who multi tasks with such ease yet strums her guitar with a violent vigor. Her on stage demeanor matches up to the guitar legends of yesteryear, Hendrix certainly comes to mind when watching her do her 'thang' on stage.

Read the rest of this entry

Here is the latest recipe from The Kitchen Café, to be downloaded, kept and printed.

Download Mary Contini's pan fried pork chops with sage and white wine

The Kitchen Café is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland, every Wednesday 1315-1400.

The yin and yang of being a roving reporter for MacAulay & Co was never more evident than it was this week. Allow me to explain further.

At the start of the week I made my way to at Dundee City Airport to discover just how difficult it is to get a pilot licence following the news last week that a 17 year old became a fully fledged pilot, if still a fledgling himself.

I met Jim, a top pilot/instructor/MD of the company and all-round good bloke to boot, and he informed me that the brisk North Easterly coupled with the grey clouds and showers were not really conducive to us taking to the air. Whilst disappointed, my fear of flying wholeheartedly agreed with Jim's decision. While we waited for the a break in the weather we killed time on the expensive and rather remarkable flight simulator. Amazing as this experience was though, it was nothing compared to the real thing and an hour and a bit later than scheduled we took to the skies in a four-seater single prop aircraft affectionately referred by Jim as the "Mondeo" of the skies.

Read the rest of this entry

FRIDAY 4th MAY

Accordion and Fiddle Club
Castle Douglas - Crossmichael Hall - Annual Dance with Iain Cathcart - 8pm

Ceilidh
Edinburgh - Freemasons Hall, George Street - James Coutts and his Scottish Dance Band - 7pm

SATURDAY 5th MAY

Ceilidh
Halkirk, Caithness - Ross Institute - Nicky McMichan and his band

CLASS

Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Fiddle with Karen Hannah - improvers' class - 11am

Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Whistle with Helen Forbes - 12:30pm

Dundee, Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library - Harp with Simon Chadwick - 2pm

Festival
Bogbain Farm - Brew at the Bog Festival - Three Blind Wolves, Tommy Reilly - more details from www.brewatthebog.com

Read the rest of this entry

Two debutant novelists guested on this week's Book Café (no, not Duchess of Devonshire debs) and they had a few things in common. For starters, they were writing about troubled teenage girls albeit in quite different circumstances. One was confined in a local authority care home, the other was searching for her father who'd vanished in the night. is a v grounded Livingston gal who doesn't baulk at bad language. We know this because her heroine, Anais, is fantastically foul mouthed - and she speaks in broad Scots. (Shades of I. Welsh?) I wasn't anchoring the programme from the same studio but I am reliably informed that throughout the entire interview, Jenni was as cool as a cucumber, meditatively buffing her nails; neat trick because she didn't seem at all distracted as she chatted away, explaining how her own background in a care home had helped her write the book.

Read the rest of this entry

I won't lie to you, I am having a very quiet morning after a particularly busy spell. Our album is complete, I have finished my run of Sunday Morning shows and am having an extended breakfast with Mrs. Ross, there's a promise of a long walk already made to the dog and we're playing Hand Picked Songs by The Louvin Brothers in the kitchen. So what is it about country music that makes it appropriate for any given mood? It suits the sunny day when you accept that life is really not so bad after all, it accompanies the devastation of loss perfectly and, so often, it seems to speak directly to the person who is just getting on with the mundanity of the everyday. But when I met up with Chuck Prophet yesterday he gave me the best answer yet...'you've got to get your heart in the right place if you want to get it broken, and country music will do it for you.'

Read the rest of this entry

Here is the latest recipe from The Kitchen Café, to be downloaded, kept and printed.

Download Christopher Trotter's Cinghiale in dolce forte (wild boar stew)

The Kitchen Café is on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland, every Wednesday 1315-1400.